First Regional Creative Network founded in Belgrade

The first Regional Creative Network, consisting of creative centers, organizations and initiatives from Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and Serbia, has been founded. The aim is to improve the regional cooperation in the field of creative industries and innovations, as announced by the national platform Serbia Creates. The Regional Creative Network currently consists of Rog Center from Slovenia, People’s Open University Varazdin – Center of Cultural and Creative Industries UPVZ from Croatia, Skloniste, Banja Luka from Bosnia and Herzegovina, UMPACI from North Macedonia, Creative Industries Agency Municipality of Tirana from Albania, CIM Forum Kotor, Kotor ART Festival from Montenegro and Lozionica from Serbia.

At the first in the range of the gatherings of creative centers, organizations and initiatives, held in Belgrade, at the initiative of the national platform Serbia Creates and the Lozionica center, it was emphasized that creative industries and innovations had a great potential for regional cooperation, cultural diplomacy and the forming of a creative ecosystem, as well as for the strengthening of an international positioning of the region and a joint economic and technological progress, the press release says.

– Supporting the development of creative industries in Serbia in the past six years that the platform Serbia Creates has existed, we have realized that the biggest challenges for a further development of the sector are a lack of physical space for our creative people, as well as for the creation of a homogenous creative ecosystem and a stronger penetration of the international market. That is why we started forming the first center of creative industries in Serbia, Lozionica, and we launched the initiative for regional cooperation with similar initiatives and centers from the region in the field of creative industries – said the head of the platform Serbia Creates of the Government of Serbia and the director of Lozionica, Ana Ilic.

She believes that the new platform for cooperation, the Regional Creative Network, will contribute to the development of this sector in the region, the exchange of ideas, knowledge and projects.

Representatives of UNESCO, international experts from Denmark (BLOXKUB, Copenhagen) and France (Center 104 from Paris and BAAZAR from Lille) also took part in the first regional gathering of this type.

The project of the reconstruction and adaptation of the old Lozionica building into the first center of creative industries in Serbia was also presented to the participants.

The event was organized with the support of UNESCO – Antenna Office Sarajevo, the Embassy of Denmark in Serbia and the French Institute in Serbia.

Ložionica d.o.o. Beograd

Ambasada Kraljevine Danske Beograd

Francuski institut u Beogradu

Regional Creative Network

UPVŽ Hrvatska

UMPACI North Macedonia

Creative Industries Agency Municipality Albania

CIM Forum Kotor

Kotor ART Festival

Ložionica Serbia

platform Serbia Creates

BLOXKUB Copenhagen

Center 104 Paris

BAAZAR Lille

Antenna Office Sarajevo

Embassy of Denmark in Serbia

French Institute in Serbia

Ana Ilić

creative industries

reconstruction of Ložionica building